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Chapter One: Everything In The Name of Love

"The more you care, the more it hurts when you lose something."

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The gentle, relaxing sound of the rustling of the trees provided a soothing effect for the county. The luscious green grass still contained drops of morning dew. Flowers were in the season of bloom. Various refreshing and lovely colours of different varieties of flowers were dancing in the breeze. The skies, however, were not a welcoming sight. They were a dull grey littered with clouds foreshadowing a thunderstorm. Despite all of that, Northampton was the perfect sight of the start of the season of blossoming flowers - spring.

However, the residents of Northampton, two in particular, were having a minor argument, if you could call it one.

"I think I will just ask them to choose someone else. Dawlish is there. He can replace me," Harry Potter said, looking tense. He was about the age of twenty seven. His jet black hair was as messy as ever and his green eyes twinkled in worry as he stood in front of his house in Northampton.

"Oh, just shut it, Harry. Go and do your work. We will be alright!" Ginny Potter, his wife, replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Harry was on a mission to protect the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A few weeks ago, the deadliest dark arts users attacked the busy Diagon Alley, causing chaos in the bustling magical alley. They were not Death Eaters. Nor were they Lord Voldemort's savage followers. They were practitioners of the dark arts who wanted the vile branch of magic to spread among the Wizarding population.

"No, love. I have a bad feeling about letting you guys alone tonight," Harry said, looking down. Ginny sighed and came closer to him.

"Since when did you start trusting your instincts, Mr Potter?" she asked, straightening his red tie.

"I always did, Gin."

"No, not always. You are just overthinking, Harry. Do you even know me?" she asked, now straightening his collar. "You don't even know to dress up, Harry."

"I-err. . . I know that you own a wand and that you can very well kick anyone's backside if they decide to touch you in a wrong way," Harry said, looking fondly at his red haired wife.

"Then believe me and go," Ginny said, drawing circles on his chest. Harry sighed in response.

"Ask Hermione or Luna to come over?" he asked, hoping that she would follow it. She smiled instead. "Take care of James and Al," he continued, knowing that he would not get the answer for his previous suggestion. He then placed a hand on her stomach. "And our new baby."

"Of course, Harry. Go now. I love you, always have and always will."

"I love you and only you," Harry whispered before sharing a passionate lip lock with her. "See you soon."

With that, he disapparated from the spot, leaving the fresh air to come in from the front door. Ginny stood watching, as the wind made curls in her hair. The skies were a dull blue, indicating the storm that might soon come. Ginny, too, shared the same feeling with her husband. She felt . . . scared for some reason. She felt as if something was going to happen which would bring her family unwanted melancholy.

"Mum?" came the voice of her eldest. She turned around, wearing a smile, to see her brown eyes in his. "Mum, Ima hungry!" he exclaimed, wailing. Ginny chuckled lightly. Her children always brought a smile on her lips.

"Of course, Jamie. What do you want to eat? Pancakes? Or how about a treacle tart, sweetheart?" Ginny asked. James Sirius Potter, aged four, happily exclaimed for the second one. So, Ginny took his tiny hand in hers and led him to the kitchen where she made some treacle tart for him as he sat waiting at the counter. She spoon fed them with a smile as he coloured something. Ginny just hoped that Harry would come back to her soon, in full form.

Morning turned into night very soon. The skies now rumbled and thundered as the very first drops of water fell onto the earth's surface. Ginny Potter started closing all the windows of the house and the curtains as the rain started heavily, splattering on the glass as the wind rushed against it. Albus Severus Potter, aged two, gave out a whimper when a thunder rolled around, somewhere far. Ginny immediately rushed to his side and cooed lightly in his ear, holding him tight. He soon fell asleep. She had just fed him and was trying to put her sons to sleep. James was wide awake, looking around as his baby brother snored lightly.

"Jamie, do you want me to read you any story?" Ginny asked, taking the 'Tales of Beedle The Bard' from the rack. James shook his head so she placed it on the night table. "Then, sleep, sweetheart."

"Okay. . . Good night, mum. Goodnight Al, my little brother or sister!" James exclaimed. Ginny smiled.

"Good night, sweetheart. Mum loves you. Dad loves you," Ginny whispered, placing a kiss on James' forehead. James smiled.

"Jamie loves you, too."

With that, he turned to the other side and Ginny wrapped him in a comfy blanket. She kissed Albus on his forehead as well and, switched the light off. She looked towards her side. Albus and James were fast asleep on their father's side of the bed.

Ginny smiled and slightly rubbed her growing baby bump. No one other than Harry and her children knew of this new development. Not even her parents. They were planning to tell this news soon. Perhaps the coming Sunday. Harry very much desired for a daughter and Ginny was okay with any gender. She smiled once more at the thought of becoming a mother of three before gently lying down. She wrapped an arm around the sleeping figure of baby Albus and closed her heavy eyes. I love you too, Jamie, Al and my new sweetheart. Good night. Harry, come back soon, love, she thought as she felt the sleep overtake her.

Ginny woke up, not hours later after she fell asleep, to the sound of a huge rumble. She looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table and found that it was eleven in the night. The sound of the thunder made it difficult to hear anything as the rainfall thickened.

She sat up straight in a bolt and took the wand from its holster on the bedside table. She lit the lamp slowly and tip toed to the door of her bedroom. Her kids were still fast asleep and their snores were light. She strained her ears against the door and could hear some unfamiliar voices of men.

Ron was on the same mission as Harry and therefore would not return so soon. It was not any of her brothers' voices either. Nor was it Rolf Scamander's or Neville's. Her heart started skipping beats as she realized that they were under attack. She had to do something, so, she quickly placed a silencing charm on the room and rushed over to her sleeping children. She woke James up and took his hand as she gently lifted Albus to her chest.

"Ma?" Jamie asked, sleepily.

"It is all right, sweetheart. We are going over to Auntie Hermione's," Ginny said and closed her eyes, concentrating on Hermione's house. She spun around lightly to apparate but found barriers. She realized in horror that the attackers had set up anti-apparition charms around the house, trapping them in. They could not use the floo either as the network was downstairs.

Ginny looked around, thinking quickly when she heard a loud rumble on the door. They were trying to get in! There was only one thing possible. Only one thing would save all of their lives and she hoped against hope that it would work. She immediately looked around and found the book of 'The Tales of Beedle The Bard'. She summoned it.

"Portus," she hissed. The book glowed a light blue. It would serve as a portkey in twenty seconds. She placed Albus' tiny arm on it and, asked James to hold it. James did as was told and when she was about to take hold of it, the door exploded into wooden pieces. Several pieces flew about hitting them as Ginny tried desperately to cover her babies. She turned around, wand in hand, and found two people standing there. "WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!" she shouted, fiercely. James winced though it was not directed towards him.

"Very quickly she asks, eh? Let's finish off those little brats there before taking her down. That will impact that follower of Light, Potter!" one of the shadow figures said.

"Jamie, hold Al. Go! Remember, I love you sweetheart, until the end!" Ginny said, looking at James who was silently crying. She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on both of her sons' cheeks and withdrew her hand away from the portkey just as she saw a beam of yellow light coming towards them.

"Protego!" she shouted. A thick barrier formed around her and her children just as the spell rebounded off it. The book started flickering and Ginny knew there was no other option. She had to distract these ruddy murderers.

"Volatilis Lutum!" Ginny screamed as a yellow light hit one of the figures and an awful noise was heard combined with the sound of the splattering rain and the flapping of wings. Everything that happened next was in a very quick succession that no one could have really processed what happened if they had not been there in person to witness it. However, to the red haired witch, it seemed to have taken place in a very slow motion.

"Ugh! That went too far, young lady! You shall pay dearly for this! Avada Kedavra!" The sickly green beam of light flew toward her in an elegant dance. She stepped in front of her children, eyes and arms wide. Simultaneously, the portkey glowed blue before both of her babies disappeared from sight. She turned to the wall, where several portraits were fixed and saw the handsome face of Harry, dancing along with her in their wedding and that was the last thing she would ever see.

"Mumma!" was heard before they disappeared but it was not Ginny who heard her son's wail of cry for her because she fell down, on the bed, lifeless. Her eyes stared into nothingness as her breath hitched and finally stopped.

"Wife of that meddlesome fool, Harry Potter, is no more. Finite Incantatem!" The figure said, obliterating the bats that were arising from his co-worker's nose. "Powerful one, this one. Shame, we couldn't get a talk out of her," he said as he neared her body. He pointed his wand at her and a wet sound was heard as cold blood flowed freely from the dead Ginny's nose. "Come on, let's go. We need to report the success to her." was all that was heard in the whole house for a good ten minutes.

Here is the first chapter of Hiraeth! I hope you enjoyed reading it. It was a difficult chapter to write as I basically (and heartlessly) killed my favourite character. Well, it was meant to happen for the sake of the story so I do hope you guys would forgive me.

Italics are thoughts or incantations.

The hex which Ginny used was the bat bogey hex. It's real incantation is unknown but some websites give the incantation Volatilis Lutum as the real one. Volatilis means winged or flying in Latin. Lutum means bogey in Latin.

The quotes at the beginning of each chapter is probably a fragment of my mind's creations. If it is meaningless, I ask you to forgive me!

Leave your thoughts about the chapter in the comments! Thank you so much for reading!

Miyoko x